Taiwan strengthens trade relationship with Paraguay with cattle imports
Taiwan’s beef imports from Paraguay are expected to be 10 times higher than they were in 2015.
5 August 2020
1 minute read
Taiwan News reports that Taiwan is embracing “beef diplomacy” to strengthen its relationship with Paraguay, its sole diplomatic ally in Latin America. Various sources state that Paraguay is being courted by China in an effort to thwart Paraguay’s bilateral relationship with Taiwan.
Taiwan has ramped up beef imports from the South American country over the years to shore up its bilateral relationship and help it weather economic shocks. The economic cooperation agreement that began in February 2018 reduced tariffs.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Taiwan emerged as the third-largest beef export destination for the Latin American country in the first half of 2020, while it became the fourth largest beef supplier of Taiwan. The country imported 2,104 tonnes of beef from Paraguay in 2015, and that number is expected to grow 10 times higher this year.
Only 15 states now recognise Taiwan amid Beijing’s continued campaign to peel off Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. Faced with mounting pressure from China and the domestic business sector, Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez has reassured ties with Taiwan, which he described as “a true friend,” according to Marcial Bobadilla Guillen, Paraguayan ambassador to Taiwan, in a comment he made last month.
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